Monday, April 19, 2010
3-59

Ethanolysis of Jatropha curcas oil by different lipases immobilized on silica-PVA composite

Livia T. A. Souza1, Poliana C. Tiosso2, Flavio F Moraes2, Gisella M. Zanin2, and Heizir F. de Castro1. (1) Engineering School of Lorena, University of São Paulo, P.O.Box 116, Lorena - SP, 12602-810, Brazil, (2) Chemical Engineering Department, State University of Maringa, Av. Colombo, 5790, BL D-90, Maringa, PR, 87020-900, Brazil

This study investigates the feasibility of using refined Jatropha curcas oil to produce biodiesel via enzymatic catalysis in solvent free system. Six different lipases from Pseudomonas fluorescens (Lipase AK), Burkolderia cepacia (Lipase PS), Mucor javanicus (Lipase M), Aspergillus niger (Lipase A), Rhizopus oryzae (Lipase 036P) and Rhizopus oryzae (Piccantase A) were immobilized on epoxy- silica-PVA composite and tested as biocatalyst to mediate the ethanolysis reaction of Jatropha curcas oil. Reactions were performed in closed reactors with a capacity of 25 mL containing 12 g of substrate consisting of Jatropha curcas oil and anhydrous ethanol, without the addition of solvents, at oil-to-ethanol molar ratio of 1:9. The mixtures were incubated with the lipase from different sources immobilized on silica-PVA at fixed loading of 500 units per g oil. Experiments were carried out at 45°C for a maximum period of 72 h under constant magnetic agitation of 150 rpm. Samples were taken to quantify the formed ethyl esters by gas chromatography. Results indicated that in all reaction systems a good dispersion of the biocatalyst was visually observed in the substrate during the reaction. Reaction yield was strongly dependent on the lipase source and varied between 0.3 and 93%. The highest performance was reached by Lipase PS, followed by Lipase AK (86%). The others lipases were considered ineffective under the evaluated conditions. Results confirmed that lipases PS and AK are promising alternatives to mediate the enzymatic ethanolyis of different lipid raw-materials, including Jatropha curcas oil. 

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